


I am, I was, and I will remain myself

by Gilrael



Series: Scalie EnnoTana [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Dragons, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Tanaka is a model, This is just me writing self-indulgent fic, ennoshita is a photographer, minor KinoNari
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-04-04 22:31:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,719
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14030238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gilrael/pseuds/Gilrael
Summary: Chikara watched them out of the corner of his eyes, blindly attaching a different lens to his camera. There was a smug look on Tanaka's face like he was proud of himself for making Nishinoya-san laugh. Maybe it was moments like this – when Tanaka revealed just how much of a dork he actually was and when he wasn't putting on his model persona – that had endeared him to Chikara.---Ennoshita is a fashion photographer and has a thing for one of the models at Yachi's talent agency, but he doesn't think he actually stands a chance with Tanaka. Little does he know that Tanaka has a secret...





	1. Not what it seems (I)

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know how this happened, but it did. Have some Fashion AU EnnoTana with fantastical elements!
> 
> (The title is blatantly translated from the chorus of Stromae's song [bâtard](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fatfDUPiJ5U))
> 
> EDIT: LOOK AT THIS FANART OF TANAKA AAAAAAHHHHH [I love it so much](http://pesky33.tumblr.com/post/173041046048/for-gilrael-ive-been-thinking-about-model)

“Lift your chin a little more!” Chikara instructed, looking through the viewfinder of his camera. Tanaka followed his command, accentuating the haughty expression on his face with the new angle.

 _Click_ , _click_ , _click_.

“Now give me your best smile.” And Tanaka delivered. His trademark toothy grin would make all of his fans swoon. Chikara had to take a steadying breath before he started taking photos again.

Working with Tanaka Ryuunosuke was simultaneously a delight and a nightmare. On the one hand, he was an expressive, all-around beautiful human being and the camera loved him, but on the other hand, he was _an expressive, all-around beautiful human being_.

It was distracting, to say the least.

“I think we have enough photos with this outfit,” Chikara declared, handing his camera to his assistant Kinoshita. “Tanaka, if you could change into the next one, please.”

“I'd do anything for you,” Tanaka said, winking at Chikara and blowing him a kiss. Chikara rolled his eyes at Tanaka's joke, ignoring the fluttering butterflies in his stomach.

This was another reason why working with Tanaka was a disaster – Chikara actually _liked_ the idiot. It was inexplicable, really. Chikara had worked with _the_ Shimizu Kiyoko and managed to stay professional. Why he struggled to do so when Tanaka was in front of his camera was beyond him. Chikara usually knew better than to fall for people who were utterly out of his league.

“According to this, we're supposed to use a warmer light source for the next couple of outfits,” Kinoshita said, holding up the piece of paper that held all of the notes Chikara had taken during the meeting with Haiba-san, the designer. “Narita and I will take care of it while you fetch a glass of water. Your thirst is showing.”

“Very funny,” Chikara replied dryly. “At least I don't make out with my co-worker during work hours.”

“Narita and I were on break.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just go and change the freaking lights.”

 

~~~

 

Chikara had just handed in some paperwork at the offices of Yachi Madoka's talent agency when someone called out to him.

“Ennoshita-san!”

The familiar voice of Yachi Hitoka, daughter of the CEO, made Chikara turn his head as he was waiting for the lift. She stumbled her way through the crowded hallway, apologising profusely as she stepped on someone's feet.

“Hello, Yachi-san,” Chikara greeted her when she finally reached him.

She sighed, clutching her bag tightly in her hands. “I'm glad I ran into you, Ennoshita-san. I was talking to Haiba-san about the last photo shoot. She was very pleased with the results and apologised again for not having been able to be there.”

The lift arrived with a soft _ding._

“I'm glad she liked how the photos turned out. But Tanaka did most of the actual work,” Chikara said, uncomfortable with the praise. He stepped onto the lift and pressed the button for the foyer. Yachi-san followed him.

“Tanaka-san likes working with you and it shows in the photos.”

Chikara wanted to curse himself for how his heart skipped a beat at Yachi-san's words. So what if Tanaka liked working with him? That didn't mean he liked him as a person.

“I think Haiba-san might ask you to be the photographer for the promotion of her new store in Shibuya,” Yachi-san went on, completely oblivious to Chikara's inner turmoil. “We already signed a contract with her so she can use Suzumeda-san and Tanaka-san as her models.”

Excitement prickled beneath Chikara's skin. He'd get another chance to work with Tanaka-san.

“They can be lucky to call you their manager, huh?” Chikara mused as they arrived on the ground floor.

“N-not at all!” Yachi-san stuttered, blushing all the way to the tip of her ears. “I'm nowhere near the level of my mother yet.”

“If you say so.”

 

~~~

 

As usual, Tanaka was joking around with the make-up artist before the shoot.

“... and two seconds later, both of them were lying in a heap on the floor,” he recounted, making Nishinoya-san laugh so hard that he had to stop working on Tanaka's make up for a second.

Chikara watched them out of the corner of his eyes, blindly attaching a different lens to his camera. There was a smug look on Tanaka's face like he was proud of himself for making Nishinoya-san laugh. Maybe it was moments like this – when Tanaka revealed just how much of a dork he actually was and when he wasn't putting on his model persona – that had endeared him to Chikara.

“Here.” Narita handed Chikara a water bottle, wiggling his eyebrows. Chikara was tempted to hit his assistant over the head with it.

“Is everyone ready?” Chikara asked, switching to work mode.

“Ryuu just needs a little more powder!” Nishinoya-san replied, quickly recovering from his laughter to put the finishing touches on Tanaka's face. As much as those two liked to goof off, they were still professionals through and through.

Chikara had already spent all morning taking photos of Suzumeda Kaori wearing Haiba Alisa's women's collection inside of the new shop. She was an experienced model and easy to work with, but having her in front of the camera was nothing like taking photos of Tanaka. With Tanaka's fierce attitude it was almost impossible for a photo of him to turn out boring, and even when he was supposed to show a more vulnerable side, it always stood in contrast with his sharp facial features, adding depth and personality to otherwise simple fashion shots.

“Those photos you took of Suzumeda-chan this morning – the ones inside the dressing room? I think this would be a good outfit to do similar shots with,” Haiba-san suggested halfway through the shoot, holding up ripped jeans and a black and white flannel shirt.

It wasn't like Chikara had much of a choice. It would be weird to refuse to squeeze into a small dressing room with Tanaka after he'd suggested doing so with Suzumeda.

“Sounds good to me,” Chikara said. As he waited for Tanaka to change, he refused to make eye contact with either of his assistants. If he messed this up in any shape or form, Kinoshita and Narita would never let him live this down for the rest of his life.

“I'm ready!” Tanaka announced, finally stepping out of Haiba-san's office where he'd gone to change. Chikara's eyes went wide. Tanaka hadn't bothered buttoning up the shirt, showing off his muscular chest. It was a good look, without question, but it made it almost impossible for Chikara to keep his cool as they entered the dressing room together. His palms were sweaty, his pulse was racing and he struggled to get into position properly so his reflection wouldn't be visible in the mirrors.

“This is a little small for two guys like us, huh?” Tanaka said.

Chikara could've sworn that Tanaka's cheeks were a little redder than usual, but that was probably just the makeup.

“It kinda is.” He cleared his throat, but his voice still sounded a little raspy as he started giving instructions. “Please set your right foot on the stool. Now put your hand on your knee – yes, perfect.”

Chikara wiped his hands on his jeans before holding up his camera and taking the first set of photos. He immediately noticed how Tanaka's open shirt was throwing distracting shadows on his chest.

“Kinoshita? Could you move the light a little to the left?” The shadows disappeared. “Thanks.”

What Chikara would have given to be allowed to touch those _abs_.

“Can you lean a little more towards the mirror?”

“Like this?” Tanaka asked as he shifted his stance, allowing Chikara to take shots that had both the abs and their reflection in them.

“Perfect.” Following a sudden instinct, Chikara kneeled down in the corner of the dressing room, making himself as small as possible. “Lean forward a little.”

Tanaka struck an imposing figure from this angle, and combined with the mischievous expression on his face, it made Chikara forget how to breathe properly. He lost all sense of time as he continued to take pictures, contorting himself into strange positions to get the angles just right.

Only when Narita noisily cleared his throat, did Chikara realise how much time he must have spent taking photos. They had a schedule to keep.

“Alright, I think that's it,” he said shakily, leaving the dressing room. “How many outfits are left?”

“Only one more to go,” Haiba-san announced, showing him a dark red t-shirt and fake-leather pants.

“I'll put it on im–” Tanaka was interrupted by the sudden arrival of his manager. Yachi-san burst through the door of the shop, breathing hard.

“Tanaka-san! I need to talk to you,” she blurted out, a distinct note of worry in her voice.

“Is everything alright, Yacchan?” Tanaka rushed towards her.

“Let's... let's step outside for a moment,” she said, seemingly noticing how everyone in the shop was staring at them. Everyone broke out into whispered speculations after the door closed behind them.

As Yachi-san and Tanaka talked, Chikara watched them through the large glass front of the shop. Yachi-san was gesticulating wildly, and from the look on Tanaka's face, she wasn't giving him any good news. He looked shocked and worried all at once, his eyes wide and jaws clenched. Chikara had the strong urge to go out there and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, but he stayed rooted to the floor, holding on to his camera.

Suddenly, Tanaka ran back into the shop, face grey as ash, muttering something about having to go to the loo. Everyone else just stared, unsure of what was happening, but Chikara was worried. Was Tanaka sick?

Putting down the camera in exchange for the water bottle Narita had given him, Chikara followed Tanaka to the men's room. The first thing he noticed was the flannel shirt that was lying on the floor in front of the row of sinks. Second were the choked sounds coming from the first stall. It wasn't locked.

“Tanaka? Are you alright?” Chikara asked, carefully pushing open the door.

He wasn't sure what he'd expected to see – Tanaka bent over the toilet and puking, or maybe crying – but it certainly wasn't a set of dark-red, leathery wings protruding from Tanaka's back.

“What the–”

Tanaka whirled around, eyes wide open and – were those slitted pupils?!

Before Chikara could get a closer look, he was shoved away and the stall door shut in his face.

_What the fuck is going on here?_

 


	2. Not what it seems (II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some more scalie EnnoTana!

Maybe becoming a model had been a bad idea, what with the constant media attention and obligation to keep up a respectable image. But who could have guessed that Ryuu would turn out to be this successful? He had more or less stumbled his way into the fashion business by accident, accepting the offer of a really cute but extremely nervous girl with a business card from a talent agency and not expecting that modelling would turn out to be something he was good at.

Now, two years later, Yacchan was still Ryuu's manager and the only person outside his family who knew about him being part dragon. At least until a couple of seconds ago.

“What the–”

The shock was evident on Ennoshita's face as Ryuu turned around in the bathroom stall.

_Shit!_

Instinctively, Ryuu shoved Ennoshita back, slamming the door of the stall shut and locking it with shaking fingers, but it was already too late – he had been seen in his original form, wings and lizard eyes and all.

“Oh fuck!” Why did everything have to happen all at once? First the news about Nee-san being in an accident, which had then led to Ryuu losing control over his human form for the first time in months, and now Ennoshita knew that he was a freak! Ryuu let out a string of barely coherent curses. He was absolutely screwed and so was his family. They wouldn't be able to stay among humans anymore and would have to move to that dragon village where Ryuu's great-grandmother lived, and it was all Ryuu's fault, and–

“I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to...” Ennoshita trailed off awkwardly. “I just wanted to see if you were okay.”

“Well, I'm not!” Ryuu said, hating the hysterical note in his own voice. He needed to calm down. If he didn't calm down, he wouldn't be able to go back to his human form, and if he wasn't in his human form, there would be no way he could go and visit Nee-san in the hospital.

“Do you... Do you want some water? Or there might still be some tea or coffee left over from lunch break,” Ennoshita offered.

Damnit, why was Ennoshita being so nice? Ryuu wasn't used to this. Every time he'd tried to flirt with the guy, he'd been met with a blank, unimpressed expression, but now suddenly he decided to be worried about Ryuu?

“Aren't you freaked out at all?!”

“Trust me, I'm plenty freaked out,” Ennoshita replied, followed by breathless laughter. “I have absolutely no idea what the fuck is going on.”

“Please don't tell anyone what you saw!” Ryuu begged, leaning his forehead against the door. His wings were shaking and he wished he could finally make them disappear again.

“I'll keep my mouth shut.”

If only Ryuu could trust him. Telling Yacchan had been safe. She had a vested interest in keeping Ryuu's true form a secret because she was the one who would have to deal with the fallout of the media finding out about dragons. Yacchan was his manager, but Ennoshita was just a really fucking pretty photographer who didn't know how to dress but managed to take the most stunning fashion shots Ryuu had ever seen. He had absolutely no reason to keep Ryuu's secret.

“Sooo... Do you want water?” Ennoshita asked again. “Or maybe there's something else I can do to help?”

“You...” Ryuu was at his wit's end. He needed Ennoshita to leave, and he needed to be sure that no one else would come into the bathroom to check on him. Otherwise, there was no way he would change back anytime soon. “Can you... can you tell Yacchan to clear my schedule for the rest of the day? And... keep the others away from here.”

There was a short pause, but then Ryuu could hear soft footsteps on the tiled floor.

“I'll tell them that you need some space.”

There was the sound of a door opening and closing and then silence. Blissful, solitary silence.

 

~~~

 

Fifteen minutes later, Ryuu emerged from the bathroom to find the shop mostly empty, with the exception of Haiba-san, Yacchan and Ennoshita. Ryuu wanted to apologise for having derailed the photo shoot, but Haiba-san wouldn't have any of it.

“You were in shock! I wouldn't have been able to keep working either if I was told that my brother had been in an accident,” she insisted. “Should we call a taxi so you can visit your sister in the hospital?”

“I'm here by car, I'll drive him,” Yacchan said, offering a reassuring smile.

“Thank you,” Ryuu mumbled. “I'll go and change back into my regular clothes...”

Walking towards Habia-san's office, Ryuu could practically feel Ennoshita's eyes burning a hole in his back. He would have to do something about him. There had to be a way to ensure his silence. But for now, Ryuu had to be there for his sister.

 

~~~

 

“Thanks for driving me, Yacchan!” Ryuu said as he got out of her car. He didn't even wait for her to reply, instantly making his way towards the entrance of the hospital. He could still feel the buzzing sensation on his back that usually came with the appearance of his wings, but he had himself under control. Nee-san needed him right now.

As the automatic sliding doors opened up for him, Ryuu was struck by a sudden, uncomfortable thought. What if his sister had lost control during the accident? She'd always been better than him at keeping up her human form, but what if she had fainted? There was no way she wouldn't have revealed her wings if she lost consciousness!

Ryuu pressed his fingernails into his palms, letting the pain distract him from his spiralling worries. He went up to the information desk and waited for the clerk to look up from her computer screen. When she did, recognition flashed across her face, rendering her speechless.

“My sister, Tanaka Saeko, was brought to this hospital over an hour ago,” Ryuu said without preamble. “Can you tell me where I can find her?”

“Y-yes! Of course!” she blurted out, her fingers flying across her keyboard at an amazing speed. “Hm... I don't think she has a room yet.”

Ryuu didn't like the sound of that. If she didn't have a room, did that mean Nee-san was still in the ER?

“Oi! Ryuu-chan!”

Ryuu's heart leapt at the sound of his sister's familiar voice. Turning around, he saw her walking towards him. She was wearing a wrist brace, her left cheek was bruised and a large gauze square covered part of her forehead, but other than that she looked perfectly fine.

“Nee-san!” He ran towards her, ready to hug her but thought better of it, in case there were injuries he couldn't see. “What happened?”

“I was riding my bike and some idiot didn't look before opening his car door.” She sighed. “At least I get to take the next three days off of work.”

“Do you have to stay at the hospital?”

“Nah, I can rest at home.”

Relief flooded through Ryuu, making tears spring to his eyes.

“Don't you ever worry me like that again, Saeko-nee!”

She laughed, patting his shoulder with her uninjured hand.

 


	3. Uncovering truths (I)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We finally get some more EnnoTana interactions. I also realised that I'll probably need one more chapter than I initially planned to wrap this up satisfactorily.

Waking up to the sound of an e-mail notification, Chikara blinked away the afterimages of a very strange dream that had involved snakes, lizards and one of those dragons from Game of Thrones which had suddenly morphed into Tanaka for some reason, who then promptly started making out with Chikara.

Groggily, he groped around on the shelf next to his bed until he found his phone. Seeing Tanaka Ryuunosuke's name over the subject line “about yesterday” made Chikara remember what he'd seen in the men's room at Haiba-san's shop. At least now his dream made a little more sense.

Curiously, he opened the e-mail.

 

_Hello Ennoshita,_

 

_We need to talk about yesterday, and I'd rather do that in person. Would it be possible to meet up for lunch or dinner tomorrow?_

 

_~Ryuu_

 

Something about the tone of the e-mail sounded off. It was probably because Chikara had never heard Tanaka speak that formally. Maybe Yachi-san had helped him out? Whatever. Chikara was not going to say no to potentially finding out what was up with those wings.

 

~~~

 

Chikara had never seen Tanaka so nervous and fidgety. He was usually the image of confidence, even during TV interviews. Now he was sitting across from Chikara at a small, artsy café, blushing every time he met Chikara's eyes.

_How the tables have turned_ , Chikara thought as he lifted his iced coffee to his lips. He set down the glass, deliberately centring it on the green placemat in front of him.

“So, about yesterday,” he started, making Tanaka flinch so hard he almost knocked over the sugar bowl.

“Yeah... I... What exactly do you remember?” Tanaka asked, shoving his hands under the table where they couldn't accidentally spill coffee or sugar everywhere.

“I remember you running back into the shop, looking like you were about to puke. I remember following you into the men's room to check on you...” Chikara had a look around the café. At Tanaka's request, they had been seated in a rather isolated booth in the corner, but there were still some people sitting close enough to overhear them if Chikara spoke at a normal volume, so he lowered his voice. “I saw wings growing from your back and I think you had slitted pupils.”

Tanaka sank in on himself and buried his face in his hands. “Oh fuck.”

“You know I won't tell on you, right?” Chikara asked, taking another sip of iced coffee. He saw no benefit in destroying Tanaka's career by starting rumours about him being a mutant or something. At this point, Chikara's own career actually benefited from Tanaka wanting to work with him. Not that anyone would believe Chikara, even if he had photographic evidence. Everything was possible with Photoshop. 

But Tanaka didn't seem to think so.

“If word gets out that I'm part dragon, I'll be finished. My family won't be able to stay here and–”

Chikara almost choked on his drink, interrupting Tanaka's muttering with a coughing fit.

“Are you alright?” Tanaka asked.

“Dragon?” Chikara wheezed. He could have guessed as much, but hearing it from Tanaka himself – having it actually _confirmed –_ was something else entirely.

“Uh, yeah.” Tanaka nodded, slumping his shoulders. “We usually keep to ourselves, but my great-grandmother fell in love with a human and... here we are.”

A dragon and a human... how did that even work?

Chikara gulped down some more iced coffee, hoping that the bitter taste and cold might ground him in reality instead of thinking about dragon sex. Part of Chikara would have preferred if this whole thing had been a weird fever dream, and if someone else would have told him that they'd seen Tanaka sprouting dragon wings he would have declared that person insane. But he had seen it, and now Tanaka had confirmed it.

“Okay, so...” Tanaka took a deep breath. “How much do you want?”

“What?” Chikara put down his coffee again. This had to be a joke.

“I'm asking how much I have to pay you to keep your mouth shut,” Tanaka repeated, confirming that this was _not_ a joke.

“You don't have to bribe me.”

“You have absolutely no reason to keep this a secret, so yes, I do have to bribe you,” Tanaka insisted, getting out an honest to god chequebook. Chikara hadn't known people even used those anymore. “I talked to Yacchan and she said that the agency would be willing to set up a non-disclosure agreement with you.”

This did sound like something Yachi-san would come up with, Chikara thought, rubbing his temples with his fingers. Tanaka probably freaked out and told her about what had happened and asked her for advice, and then she freaked out, and now here Chikara was, being offered hush money that he didn't want. He got by just fine with the money he made taking photos; there was absolutely no need to extort it from a perfectly nice guy like Tanaka.

“I don't need the money,” Chikara said, and then he was struck by an epiphany. “But...” He looked around the room until he saw a sign pointing to the customer restrooms. “Come with me for a second.”

 

~~~

 

Chikara had a certain sense of déjà vu as he locked the bathroom stall behind them. Tanaka was clearly very confused by the whole situation, and Chikara couldn't blame him, but he had to make sure of something before he made his suggestion to Tanaka.

“Erm, what are we doing here exactly?” Tanaka asked, scratching his neck and avoiding eye contact with Chikara.

“I have an idea, but I need to confirm something first,” Chikara explained, the butterflies in his stomach going on a rampage at Tanaka's proximity. This was way worse than taking photos of him in a tiny dressing room. At least during the photo shoot, there had been other people around.

“And why do we have to do that in a bathroom stall?” Tanaka asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“I'd like to see your wings.”

“Oh.” Tanaka blinked, still looking slightly confused, but then he shrugged. “Okay. Wait a second.”

Chikara almost choked on air when Tanaka lifted his shirt over his head. It made sense that Tanaka would take off his shirt, the wings would probably tear it otherwise, and yet Chikara was still completely taken off guard.

“Hold that, please.”

“O-okay,” Chikara mumbled, clutching the shirt tightly in his hands as Tanaka closed his eyes and took a couple of deep breaths. Then he suddenly bent forward, face contorted into a grimace and impossibly close to Chikara's.

“Oh my god, d-does it hurt?”

“Nah,” Tanaka pressed out between clenched teeth as a set of reddish wings slowly grew out from below his shoulders. “I'm mostly numb to this.”

The wings knocked against the sides of the stall, even before they stopped growing, and then Tanaka opened his eyes, revealing yellow irises and slitted pupils.

“Holy fuck.” Chikara could barely string together any coherent thoughts. The eyes were _weird_ , certainly, but they also went astoundingly well with Tanaka's otherwise completely human features. And those wings were just impressive. Chikara had to suppress the urge to reach out and touch them.

“So, erm–” Tanaka stepped back a little, almost knocking against the toilet– “what now?”

Chikara took a shaky breath and swallowed hard.

“I have a proposition to make,” he said, voice shooting up half an octave. “You don't have to pay me anything for my silence, but...” He had to clear his throat. “You have to go on three dates with me instead. How does that sound?”

Tanaka's yellow eyes went wide in surprise, but then his familiar signature grin appeared on his face.

“Deal.”

 

~~~

 

Coming back home, Chikara immediately flopped down on his bed and screamed into his pillow. He couldn't believe that he'd actually managed to get a date with Tanaka, even if it wasn't because Tanaka was actually interested in him. That was completely fine. Chikara had long since accepted that he'd spend the rest of his life pining for an unattainable fashion model. But now he could pretend for a little while at least that Tanaka liked him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *pats Enno's shoulder* it'll be fine


	4. Uncovering truths (II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly have no idea how many chapters I'll need to finish this up. I might need one more chapter, maybe two, three if I end up having even more ideas. But I'm having fun with this, so that's all that matters I guess lol

Ryuu could barely believe any of this was happening. What he'd thought to be a huge problem that would ultimately lead to having to go into hiding with his entire family turned out to be a stroke of luck. Who would've thought that being found out would land him a date with Ennoshita?

The first time Ryuu had had to work with Ennoshita, he'd been highly sceptical. For a fashion photographer, Ennoshita's sense of style was abhorrent. He'd worn ill-fitting jeans and a shirt with a mustard-yellow and pink paisley pattern. The only thing that could have made the ensemble worse would've been a pair of Crocs, but luckily Ennoshita was the type of guy who wore the same ratty old pair of Converse at all times. But Ennoshita had proven himself to be one hell of a talent when it came to photography, and they had so much chemistry that Ryuu was willing to look past the eclectic taste in clothing.

At least that was what Ryuu had thought until Ennoshita showed up to their first date at the cinema in a striped dress shirt and cardigan that made him look like a DadTM. Someone needed to tell him that brown and light blue were not flattering colours on him – as were most colour combinations Ennoshita ended up wearing, now that Ryuu thought about it. He was not going to say anything, though, not with Ennoshita wearing these clothes with way too much confidence. Maybe Ryuu could convince him to have their next date feature shopping for new clothes.

In spite of the fashion disaster, they had quite the lovely evening. The film was nothing special, but sitting in a corner booth at a bar afterwards and having Ennoshita shred it to pieces revealed a new side of Ennoshita to Ryuu. He was as passionate about film as he was about his job, and Ryuu enjoyed the way the topic made Ennoshita's eyes gleam.

“Have you ever thought about going into film instead of photography?” Ryuu asked, stirring around the ice cubes in his otherwise empty glass.

“I _did_ think about it,” Ennoshita admitted with a shrug, “but becoming a photographer was the safer hobby to pursue as a career. Taking photos at weddings and other events is always an option should I ever fall out of favour with designers and magazine publishers. But what about you? Have you always wanted to be a model?”

Ryuu shook his head. “Nah. I was just going to look for an office job straight out of university, but then I ran into Yacchan.”

Ennoshita downed the last of his cocktail in one go and licked his lips – an action so distracting that Ryuu almost missed the next question he was asked.

“Isn't this risky, though? I mean... What with your, erm, family history and all...”

Ryuu involuntarily wrinkled his nose. “I guess. But I didn't think my career would actually take off as rapidly as it did.” He'd gone into the entire thing thinking that he'd maybe get two or three jobs before Yacchan would have to give up on him. “I also didn't expect to end up liking the job as much as I do.”

“It shows in the photos. That you enjoy your job, I mean,” Ennoshita said, and for a second Ryuu thought he saw the same spark in his eyes that appeared when he was at work or talked about films. Sensing his chance, Ryuu leaned in closer towards Ennoshita. This was a date, right? Ryuu couldn't resist trying his luck at flirting. Maybe Ennoshita would be more receptive to it outside of work.

“It's doubly enjoyable if I get to work with a pretty photographer like you,” Ryuu said, smiling mischievously. If this was a photo shoot, Ennoshita would've reacted with a deadpan look and a snarky rebuttal. Today, however, Ryuu was pleased to hear him catch his breath, before shyly lowering his gaze.

“Photographers don't have to be pretty. That's your job,” Ennoshita mumbled, the faint blush on his face barely visible in the dimly lit bar.

“So you think I'm pretty?” Ryuu prodded.

“I think hot would be the better word to describe you,” Ennoshita said, suddenly going on the offence. His face was definitely red now, but he lifted his head to look straight at Ryuu.

“Even when I... You know...” Ryuu didn't dare actually saying it out loud, but he was curious. He'd always avoided dating anyone, not wanting to have to deal with having to tell them that he was part dragon. But Ennoshita already knew and had still asked for three dates. Maybe, just maybe, this could work.

“You mean the eyes and...?” Ennoshita trailed off and mimed wings with his hands instead.

Ryuu swallowed hard.

“Yeah.”

This was more nerve-wracking than he'd thought it would be.

“It's definitely unusual,” Ennoshita said carefully, “but it's not like you have actual scales or something, so...” He shrugged. “It's not a bad look.”

Ryuu couldn't help the relieved little chuckle that sneaked past his lips. It seemed like he'd actually managed to find a person weird enough to look past his true appearance, and luckily, this weirdo happened to be charming and pretty.

 

~~~

 

The week until the second date passed by in a blur. There were photo shoots and TV interviews, but Ryuu was so preoccupied thinking about Ennoshita that he barely even registered what exactly he was doing. He functioned completely on autopilot, and he was lucky that he'd been doing this kind of work for over four years now. The routine certainly helped mask his spaced-out mood.

Yacchan and Saeko-nee still noticed, though. The latter mostly made fun of him for having a crush, while Ryuu's manager was still very worried about the prospect of Ennoshita leaking anything to the press.

“And he's really fine with just three dates?” she asked, drumming her fingernails against the steering wheel as she waited for the traffic lights to switch to green. “He's not trying to force you to do anything weird, right?”

“Yacchan, relax.” Ryuu rolled his eyes, leaning further back in his seat. “We went to the cinema and then had a couple of drinks at a bar. We barely even touched.”

“He still has two more dates to reveal that he's actually a creep or something.”

Ryuu snorted. “Yeah right.”

The only creepy thing about Ennoshita were his clothes, and that was going to be fixed after Date#2.

“I just want you to be careful, okay?” Yacchan pleaded as she started driving again.

“I'll be careful, Yacchan, don't worry,” Ryuu sighed, although he was sure that there wasn't much to worry about careerwise. If there was one thing to be scared of, it would be that Ennoshita might not want to go on another date with him after the third. But that was not a thought he was willing to entertain at the moment, so he shoved it aside, preferring to think about the bashful smile Ennoshita had graced him with when they'd said goodbye after their first date.

 

~~~

 

“Hm... I don't know,” Ennoshita mused, looking at himself in the mirror in front of the dressing rooms.

“I know it's not quite as... colourful as what you usually wear, but I think it suits you,” Ryuu said, trying not to drool over how good Ennoshita looked in the clothes he'd picked out for him. They had rejected any help from the very eager staff. Ryuu had modelled for half of the brands they had in stock, after all, so he knew them well enough. And the result of his first attempt at putting together an outfit for Ennoshita had worked out stunningly well. The dark blue shirt with the white buttons went really great with his skin tone, and his ass looked amazing in those jeans. They weren't quite formfitting but far from the usual baggy look Ennoshita went for.

“The colours aren't the problem,” Ennoshita said, squatting down and shifting around his torso. “I need more freedom of movement. Do you remember those photos I took of you in Haiba-san's dressing room? Those are impossible to get in these clothes.”

It was like someone flipped a switch in Ryuu's head. Of course, Ennoshita would prioritise convenience over looks. Luckily for both of them, Ryuu knew exactly which brands to go for if Ennoshita was supposed to be comfortable and look good at the same time. Sometimes, Ryuu still had to steer Ennoshita away from colours that would clash horribly with each other, but for the most part, Ryuu considered the shopping trip successful.

By the end of it, they sat down on a bench, their shopping bags piled up next to them, and Ennoshita bought them ice cream at a nearby food truck, two scoops for each of them.

“Here,” he said, handing Ryuu a cup with strawberry and melon flavour.

“Thanks.”

It was a nice day. The heat of summer hadn't quite kicked in yet, but they could sit outside without jackets, and enjoy the gentle rays of sunlight on their skin while they tried to sneakily steal a bite of the other's ice cream. They had a good laugh when Ryuu accidentally ended up smearing lemon ice cream on Ennoshita's chin. Once the laughter died down, Ryuu was tempted to wipe it away with his thumb, but he hesitated for too long, and Ennoshita already pulled out a handkerchief to clean up.

“We should probably try to eat our own ice cream before it melts,” he suggested. Ryuu simply nodded, suddenly realising that he was already in this way too deep. He liked Ennoshita – _a lot_ – and he really hoped that these feelings were mutual, or working with Ennoshita would become terribly awkward.

 


	5. Heartbeat (I)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The third date is here :3

Spending time with Tanaka was a dream come true. Chikara couldn't remember the last time he'd had this much fun going on dates with someone. Tanaka even managed to turn _shopping_ into something to enjoy instead of a chore. To say that Chikara was thoroughly smitten was an understatement.

“Why are you smiling at your phone?” Narita asked, setting down the sandwiches he'd bought for lunch break.

“It's nothing,” Chikara tried to deflect, quickly locking his phone so Narita wouldn't see Tanaka's latest text messages. “Did they still have salmon and cream cheese sandwiches?”

“Yeah,” Narita replied, opening the packages until he found the right one and handing it to Chikara. “But it's weird. I've never seen you spend so much time on your phone.”

Kinoshita chose that exact moment to enter the room, sparing Chikara from having to explain himself.

“Food!” he exclaimed, sitting down next to his boyfriend. “You know the way into a man's heart.”

Chikara sighed. Watching his two employees flirt was nothing new but in the last couple of days, he'd felt jealousy tug at his stomach whenever he was reminded that he was still technically single. He only had one more date with Tanaka left. There was no guarantee that Tanaka would want to continue seeing Chikara outside of work once he didn't have to anymore. Chikara was extremely aware of the fact that he was basically blackmailing Tanaka, although he had never actually intended to reveal Tanaka's secret to anyone even if they hadn't struck up this deal.

Chewing on his sandwich, Chikara had another look at the text he'd received from Tanaka that morning.

 

From: Tanaka Ryuunosuke

> I know the perfect spot for our next date. We'll meet at the same station as last time

> Make sure to bring a jacket ^_^

 

_Next_ date. Not  _last_ date. Chikara really hoped that he wasn't reading too much into Tanaka's choice of words but he couldn't help himself.

 

~~~

 

If anyone else had refused to answer questions about what they were going to do or where they were going to go and had then pulled Chikara into a dark alleyway behind a set of apartment buildings, Chikara would've probably freaked out and expected the worst. But Tanaka was holding his hand, and Chikara was a weak, _weak_ man who was so in love that he'd dreamt about making out with Tanaka's dragon form and not considered that scenario a nightmare.

“Aaand we're here,” Tanaka announced, letting go of Chikara's hand. He set his backpack on the ground carefully and then started unbuttoning his shirt.

“What– Why are you undressing?!” Chikara asked, flinching at how his voice shot up half an octave.

“I need to transform,” Tanaka said and threw the shirt at Chikara before taking off his undershirt as well, leaving Chikara to stare at his perfectly sculpted torso.

“Why?”

“We're not going to spend the evening down here,” Tanaka said through clenched teeth, wings growing out of his back and pupils shifting disconcertingly until they were slits and the grey colour of his irises replaced with yellow. Chikara wasn't sure if he would ever be able to get completely used to this, but he definitely hoped to get the chance to do so.

“Come here,” Tanaka said, spreading his arms as if he was about to hug Chikara.

His brain was screaming at him that all of this was _shady as fuck_ , but Chikara's legs were already carrying him closer to Tanaka, and then–

“What the hell?!”

Chikara had expected a hug, not to be suddenly picked up like a bride on her wedding night.

“Hold on tight!” Tanaka said, flashing a grin before pushing off the ground and flapping his wings. They were flying. _Holy shit they were flying._ Instinctively, Chikara wrapped his arms around Tanaka's neck and closed his eyes. For a couple of seconds, all Chikara could think about was the wind tugging at his hair and clothes, but then he was overwhelmed by Tanaka's scent, a pleasant mix of deodorant and Tanaka's natural musk. It sent Chikara's head spinning, his own heartbeat so loud in his ears that he barely even registered when Tanaka touched down on a rooftop.

“You can let go now,” he said, gently setting Chikara's feet back on steady ground.

“Please warn me next time,” Chikara whimpered, reluctantly letting go of Tanaka.

“Sorry, but I wanted this to be a surprise,” he said, gesturing towards the horizon.

“Holy shit.” Chikara could barely believe his eyes. The sun was setting, bathing the Tokyo skyline in a warm, orange light. Chikara's fingers itched for his camera, wanting to record this perfect moment for eternity, but he only had his phone and a phone camera would never be able to capture these colours and the countless reflections of sunlight in the windows of skyscrapers. Instead, Chikara tried to commit the view to memory.

“How do you even know about this place?” Chikara muttered, still marvelling at the beauty before him.

“My family used to live in this neighbourhood a couple of years ago,” Tanaka explained. “Saeko-nee and I would sometimes practice flying in the alleys at night when nobody was around to see us. It's amazing, isn't it?”

Taking a deep breath, Chikara turned his gaze away from the view to look at Tanaka instead. He was still in his dragon form, wings folded on his back. In the light of the setting sun, they appeared even redder than usual, almost vibrant. To Chikara, Tanaka was as beautiful as the sunset.

“Thanks for sharing this with me,” he said, voice thick with emotion.

Tanaka smiled, skin wrinkling around yellow eyes. “Anything for you.” He then spread his wings out again, stepping towards the edge of the building. “I gotta go fetch my backpack. Our food is in there.”

_Right, food_ , Chikara thought, watching as Tanaka sailed through the air. 

Tanaka was special and not only in the obvious ways of being part dragon and a successful fashion model. He was kind, funny and he made Chikara feel so many things that would usually scare him and send him running. But Tanaka was different. Chikara couldn't let him go without putting up a fight first.

By the end of the night, Chikara was resolved to go home with or without a new boyfriend but with the knowledge that he'd done everything he could to convey his feelings to Tanaka.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The part where Tanaka lifts Ennoshita in his arms and flies off with him is the only reason this fic even exists and it only took 5 chapters to get there lol


	6. Heartbeat (II)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is interested in knowing what kind of music I listen to while writing Scalie EnnoTanas, here's [a link to my playlist.](https://open.spotify.com/user/gilrael/playlist/7nFLKSIVWiIXLznm6nuClZ?si=ILUkyKIIRDCtOCuvQ3wWZw)

Ryuu had everything carefully planned out. He'd looked up when exactly the sun would set in Tokyo, had asked Kinoshita and Narita if Ennoshita had any food allergies Ryuu needed to be aware of when making bentos, and had made Yacchan try and critique all the dishes he cooked. He even asked Saeko-nee to help him practice carrying someone while flying whenever he had an hour to spare in his packed schedule. It was a lot of prep for something as simple as a rooftop picnic, but it all paid off when Ryuu saw the look on Ennoshita's face as he enjoyed the sunset, absent-mindedly nibbling on an onigiri.

“I hope the food is to your liking,” Ryuu said as he continued to spread out the containers on the blanket.

“Did you make all this yourself?” Ennoshita asked.

“Kind of? Yacchan helped with dessert because I am not much of a baker, but the rest was all me,” Ryuu explained. Finally, he pulled two plastic mugs and a thermos with coffee out of his bag. “I hope you like your coffee with milk, because I didn't really have the space to pack extra milk...”

“I'm not going to complain,” Ennoshita reassured him. “All of this looks amazing, I don't even know where to start.”

Ryuu felt a pleasant warmth in his chest at Ennoshita's compliment.

 

~~~

 

Even after the sun had set, their little space on the roof was dimly illuminated by the lights of the city. Not that Ryuu had any trouble seeing in the dark while in his dragon form, but he'd chosen this spot so Ennoshita would be comfortable, too.

“So...” Ennoshita drew out the syllable, warming his hands on his coffee. “First you pick me up like I weigh nothing and then you feed me the best homemade food I've had in a while. Is there anything you can't do?”

“I suck at maths?” Ryuu offered, trying not to sound too smug with himself and earning himself a precious giggle from Ennoshita. Whenever Ennoshita laughed, he'd wrinkle his nose and the corners of his mouth would twitch so invitingly that it took Ryuu's breath away. Ryuu was so entranced by Ennoshita's face that he at first didn't notice Ennoshita moving his hand to rest on Ryuu's. The touch sent a shiver down Ryuu's spine. He just _needed_ to know what this meant, if there was anything more to this than their agreement from two weeks ago.

Nervous and giddy at the same time, Ryuu met Ennoshita's gaze.

“We need to–”

“Ennoshi–”

They both started talking at the same time, stopping again immediately, the atmosphere suddenly awkward.

“You go first!” Ryuu blurted out, his heart beating a mile a minute.

Ennoshita took a deep, shaky breath.

“We need to talk,” he finished the sentence he'd started earlier. “I know that you only agreed to go on these dates because you need me to shut up about the dragon thing, but I want you to know that I never had any intentions of revealing your secret to anyone. But when we met at the café you seemed so desperate and I needed to clam you down somehow. And that seemed like my opportunity.”

“What kind of opportunity are we talking about here?” Ryuu asked, his wings shifting on his back as they usually did whenever he was feeling uncertain.

“The opportunity to go out with you, even if only for a short amount of time,” Ennoshita admitted, blushing all the way to the tips of his ears as he gently laced his fingers with Ryuu's.

Ryuu had hoped for a development like this, but deep down he'd expected to be let down. He'd always chosen to keep his distance from people, and it had seemed so unlikely that luck would be on his side the first time he let someone get close to him. But here he was, holding Ennoshita's hand, unwilling to let it go any time soon, and all the evidence pointed towards Ennoshita feeling the same way about him.

“I'll go out with you for as long as you want me.” Ryuu's voice was barely raised above a whisper. He felt so fragile at that moment, like a single word from Ennoshita could shatter him into a million pieces, but Ennoshita's next question made Ryuu realise that he wasn't the only one having doubts.

“Because you want to be with me, or because you want me to keep my mouth shut?”

“I mean, I'd like both?” Ryuu said, squeezing Ennoshita's hand in what he hoped was a reassuring manner. “I like you a lot, but if I couldn't trust you to keep my secret, a relationship would be doomed to fail anyway. This is hard to explain, but I just... I want _us_ to be a thing because I feel like I can trust you and because you are charming and have the prettiest smile...”

The way Ennoshita bit his lip in contemplation made Ryuu's heart leap up into his throat, stopping his rambling in its tracks.

“I've liked you for a while now,” Ennoshita confessed, lowering his gaze to their intertwined hands, “but I thought you were completely out of my league.”

“I'm honoured to play in the same league as you,” Ryuu quipped, trying to lighten the mood a little, and succeeding in putting another smile on Ennoshita's face.

“So we're going out then?”

“Yeah. You're not getting rid of me and my dragon bullshit anytime soon.”

“Good thing I actually like your wings. The eyes are weird, though,” Ennoshita said, shuffling closer to Ryuu until he was kneeling directly in front of him. Lifting the hand that wasn't desperately holding on to Ryuu's, he brushed his finger over Ryuu's cheek. “Can I kiss you?”

Ryuu swallowed hard. Despite being in his mid-twenties, he'd never had a proper kiss before so he didn't really know what to expect, but he knew that he definitely wanted to kiss Ennoshita.

“Yeah,” he breathed out, closing his eyes.

And then it was happening. A hand was cupping his cheek and a set of soft lips pressed up against his own. Ryuu felt like he was floating as he clumsily tried to reciprocate, losing all sense of time until he suddenly felt raindrops on his skin.

“Shit!” Ryuu immediately broke away from the kiss, looking up at the clouds. “The forecast said it wasn't going to rain until tomorrow!”

Ennoshita laughed, starting to grab empty containers and packing them in Ryuu's backpack.

“We can go to my place if you want to continue this,” Ennoshita offered, rendering Ryuu speechless for a couple of seconds. Sensing Ryuu's hesitation, Ennoshita quickly amended his statement, “and by continue, I mean that we're going to talk about how we are going to deal with the press if they ever find out about us. And maybe we can make out a little more.”

Ryuu nodded, quickly joining Ennoshita in his efforts to pack up.

As he held Ennoshita in his arms again, wind roaring in his ears as they were sailing back down to ground level, Ryuu felt like the luckiest man alive.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they finally smooched.


	7. Epilogue

It was way too early in the morning on a Sunday for Chikara's phone to vibrate with this many message notifications. Groaning, Chikara tried to turn over and shut off his phone to get some peace and quiet, but his attempt at moving was thwarted by a leathery wing that was awkwardly draped over him.

Sharing a bed with Ryuu had taken a couple of weeks to get used to. More than once, Chikara had been hit in the face by a set of wings that suddenly grew out of his boyfriend's back when said boyfriend fell asleep before consciously changing back into his dragon form. Eventually, they had settled on Ryuu only getting little spoon privileges when he was wide awake.

Carefully, Chikara lifted Ryuu's wing off of him to reach for his phone. He was about to turn it off when he saw that most of the messages were from Kinoshita, Narita and Yachi-san. Curiosity piqued, Chikara unlocked the phone and started with the messages in the group chat with his employees.

 

From: Narita

> Why am I not surprised? [link]

 

From: Kinoshita

> how come we have to find out about this kind of thing through twitter??

> don't you trust us ennoshita? ;)

 

From: Narita

> Maybe we should've toned down the thirst jokes? lol

 

“What the heck?” Frowning, Chikara clicked on the link and waited for Twitter to load. When it did, Chikara groaned once again. Someone had taken a snapshot of Chikara kissing Ryuu in front of Ryuu's apartment building and captioned it with “Workplace romance between @EnnoC and @RyuuTaaa?”

“Ngh, what's going on?” Ryuu asked, awkwardly turning around until he was facing Chikara. Chikara simply held out his phone to him.

“Oh. Damn. I guess it's time for that press statement Yacchan's been planning, huh?”

Chikara sighed and nodded. He resumed checking his messages while Ryuu went looking for his own phone. Kinoshita and Narita were mostly trying to tease Chikara in the group chat while Yachi-san wanted him and Ryuu to meet her for lunch so they could talk about their statement one last time, and then there were the messages from Chikara's mother who expressed deep disappointment that he hadn't told her about having a new boyfriend.

“I'll have to introduce you to my mum and dad soon, or they'll never stop bugging me,” Chikara grumbled, putting his phone away.

“Same here,” Ryuu replied. “My great-grandma is already on her way to Tokyo apparently.”

“Oh.” Chikara sighed, rolling closer towards Ryuu who immediately wrapped an arm around his shoulder. “Is there anything I need to know about dragon etiquette?”

“Nah. As long as you don't call her a lizard you'll be fine.” Ryuu returned his focus to his phone. “Let me confirm lunch with Yacchan real quick.”

Chikara waited patiently until Ryuu stopped typing and threw the phone aside to snuggle closer to Ryuu's chest. Nothing about this situation was ideal, but cuddling with his boyfriend on a Sunday morning, Chikara could set these issues aside until they would meet up with Yachi-san. For now, it was time to enjoy the comfort of Ryuu's embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We have reached the end! Thank you all for your feedback on this fic. This entire thing was really self-indulgent and I'm glad so many people ended up liking it :D

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry I turned EnnoTana into scalies (not really tho lol). I can be found on [Tumblr](http://gilrael.tumblr.com).


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